Posted on: 26 March 2021
From Lisa Basi, Head of Integrated Primary Care, Camden:
The last two weeks have been intensely busy in the Camden Community Adults Vaccination Team. It has been marvellous to listen to the wonderful feedback from the Care Homes we visited to complete dose two vaccinations this week and to see the residents, carers and staff again. We have now almost vaccinated dose two to all the Care Homes in Camden; only one more to go!
I share a sample of our experience and the some of the thanks along the way; we received a special thank you at Ester Randall Court where Mohammad surprised us with a speech, card, flowers and chocolates! During the day Frank Brennan led the way in technology to organise us with his walkie talkie. I am not sure Jeanette was receiving! But definitely over and out, we said goodbye to Jeanette as she returned to her substantive role after supporting us doing the project management planning for the team.
This week was the last time the team will vaccinate in community care homes using the Pfizer Vaccine. I would like to commend the team for their incredible skills and efficiency to administer the Pfizer successfully in a community setting and each home where we also administered the Astra Zeneca vaccine - a huge thanks and well done and great achievement by all - not forgetting the expertise we had on board from our senior pharmacists: Jackie Box and TF Chan, they were brilliant to make sure we followed the relevant guidelines. The team were very happy to celebrate, at the end of Wednesday, vaccinating in Spring Grove and again we were given chocolates by Sony and the team!
Next week we move to roll out dose two to the Camden Housebound people, we aim to vaccinate using the Astra Zeneca vaccine to around 2000 people over the next three months. We have a fantastic team of nurses and podiatrists who will continue the programme seven days a week. We are about to welcome occupational therapists and physiotherapists to join us working bank shifts.
Listening to the team as they finished the care home vaccinations last week, it was wonderful to hear how they had enjoyed meeting other each other from a variety of different Camden teams (Rapids, Podiatry, all District Nursing teams, SPRU, Health Visiting, School Nursing, Infection Control, Corporate/Quality, GPs, Learning Disability, Mental Health, Pharmacy and of course not forgetting the amazing admin team). Also, I heard, how they had learned so much from each other and with primary care - true integration in action!